The Duke Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) will (1) develop and evaluate interventions designed to increase the independence of older Americans; (2) prepare health professionals for research careers in aging research; and (3) disseminate our findings to researchers, clinicians and administrators, and to older persons and their families. The overall theme of our Center is to improve the physical, psychological, and social functioning of older Americans who suffer from the disability arising from acute and chronic disease, and the aging process itself. The OAIC is based in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, an all-university multi-disciplinary program. It also takes advantage of the rick multi-disciplinary environment of the Duke University Medical Center, the Durham VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, and affiliated programs such as the Duke Center for Living, the Duke Center for Human Genetics, and Duke's Comprehensive Cancer Center. This rich milieu includes 123 senior fellows of the Aging Center and 16.8 million dollars of funded research in areas germane to the goals of the OAIC. Established post-doctoral Research and Geriatric Training Programs, and training programs in related areas such as oncology and rheumatology, will serve as natural feeders for career development. The OAIC will support four Intervention Development Studies that will develop and evaluate interventions designed to help older Americans anticipate, cope with, and recover from disability arising from late-life disease and aging. A Research and Development Core will provide mentored research experiences and didactic training. In the first year, two Junior Faculty Development trainees and three Pilot Studies will be supported, each addressing important aspects of disability research. In subsequent years these activities will be available via selective competition. These projects and other funded research of the Center will be supported by a Leadership/Administrative Core and two Information Dissemination Project will transmit our findings to other researchers and health professionals, and to older Americans themselves.